Land-use expert to speak in Davidson

DAVIDSON — One of the nation’s leading experts on the subject will lead two free and open-to-the-public discussions on the economics of land use in the town of Davidson next month.

Joseph Minicozzi, whose resume says he has been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, among other publications, will travel to Davidson from his adopted hometown of Asheville to give the talks Jan. 8. Both municipalities are widely recognized as models of urban redevelopment. (For a YouTube video of a talk given by Minicozzi, see below.)

The talks, sponsored by the town of Davidson’s Community and Economic Development Department, are designed to help the north Mecklenburg County college town follow its Economic Development Strategic Plan, which emphasizes a land-planning philosophy reflecting the town’s “village-centered” growth patterns.

One talk will be at noon and include lunch. The second will be during a regular meeting of the town’s Board of Commissioners, which starts at 6 p.m. at 216 S. Main St.

Minicozzi earned a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Miami and a master’s from Harvard University in architecture and urban design.

He was the primary administrator of form-based code for downtown West Palm Beach, Fla., and executive director of the Downtown Asheville Association before becoming principal of Asheville-based Urban3, a firm that provides consulting on, among other things, community design.

Minicozzi is also a founding member of the nonprofit Asheville Design Center, which, according to its website, works to create “livable communities.”